


Our Chains Will Not Become Our Noose

by CJTodd2



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Confused Nara Shikamaru, Dysfunctional Family, Family Feels, Fix-It, Fugaku Tries To Be A Good Dad, Gen, Inspired by blackkat, Itachi Kills No Uchihas, Itachi Loves Housewife Duties More Than ANBU Duties, Kakashi Needs Serious Help, Multi, Naruto is Just Naruto, Protective Uchiha Sasuke, The Uchiha Clan Deserved Better, The Uchiha Men Are A Mess, Uchiha Clan-centric, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-01
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2018-12-09 21:23:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11677338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CJTodd2/pseuds/CJTodd2
Summary: Wrong place at the wrong time. An incident in Kumo leaves him injured, a single father, with his two year old son changed forever. Fugaku Uchiha doesn't fully know what he is going to do, but he knows it has to be different than what he's been doing.





	1. Waking Up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blackkat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackkat/gifts).



> Anyone reading my other stories, I'm sorry, but my Naruto phase has returned with a vengeance.

The too bright lights dampened any attempts he had been about to make to open his eyes. His limbs felt numb to the point of not completely being sure they were there, but he wiggled his toes and curled a finger so they were indeed still attached to him. His body itself felt sore, not a too hard training session sore, although there was a little bit of a feeling like he had pushed himself far beyond his limits. No, it was a throbbing that penetrated his muscles and vibrated throughout his bones. Fugaku Uchiha  wasn’t entirely sure where he was or how he got there.  It was too white and far too bright to be his bedroom. Mikoto knew he was prone to headaches and made sure to get blackout curtains for their room. He noticed an annoying beeping right next to the bed. He groaned as he forced his eyes to open and was met with overhead fluorescents as he tried to coax his limbs out of their supposed entropy. A gentle voice, woman’s voice, gasped.

“Captain Uchiha, you’re awake! You are currently in the Konoha hospital and have been unconscious for three days after collapsing in the Hokage’s office.”

Fugaku managed to lift his arms and press his palms against his eyes trying to ignore the stinging from tears that yearned to fall when the memories came back to him. There was a reason the Uchiha were known, among other things, for their ability to hold a grudge and strong armed by their comrades into writing mission reports. Their memory was almost impeccable with the Sharingan. They just couldn’t seem to forget. Fugaku swallowed a lump in his throat and tried to gain some semblance of collectiveness as he hid from the bustling nurse beneath his eyes. He vaguely heard her mention sending for the Hokage, the current state of his health, who had visited during his unconsciousness. It was little more than a constant drabble with Fugaku who only saw the towering two tails engulfed in animated cobalt blue and black flames beneath his eyelids.

He pulled his hands down after he’d deemed most of his composure to have returned and idly glanced around the hospital room. The nurse smiled and rushed to help him sit up and fix the pillows beneath his back. Fugaku’s lips tightened at the stinging that arose from being jostled but figured he’d have to get used to it. He thanked the nurse as one of the ANBU body flickered into the room. The ANBU, Otter , said in a monotone voice, “Lord Hokage had arrived and will speak to you, Uchiha Fugaku.”

Fugaku simply nodded and hoped his voice wouldn’t waiver at all when speaking to  the Hokage especially when he would probably be accompanied by the Jonin Commander and Head of T&I. The nurse scurried out with a bow when the Hokage walked into the hospital room followed by ANBU Hound, Morino Ibiki, and Nara Shikaku. To take his mind off who he was going to have to be lying to or at least leaving out some truths, he wondered if Hound wore a hooded cloak when on missions to cover the flyaway silver hair. Anyone with half a brain would know it was Hatake Kakashi.

The Hokage greeted him warmly, “It’s good to see you are finally awake, Fugaku. I understand you must still be recovering but I’m afraid this cannot wait. Scared a number of us after you rushed into my office covered in blood, injured and scarred, exhausted and half delirious saying Sasuke, your youngest son, was okay but everyone else was dead. That was all you managed before collapsing to bleed into the carpet.”

Fugaku joked trying to put off the inevitable, “Well, my skills as field medic aren’t the best so I apologize for your floors, Lord Third.”

Ibiki mumbled as he read over Fugaku’s medical report, “Probably still delirious it seems.”

Shikaku didn’t laugh but his lips notable twitched.

The Hokage was not so amused, “An explanation would be appreciated although you were not officially on a mission.”

Fugaku opened his mouth to explain but found no words coming out. Noticing a softness in Shikaku’s he tried again, “Nine clan members including myself, my wife, and my youngest son traveled to Kumogakure as a show of trust in speaking with clans there representing as a noble clan of Konoha with the upcoming talks of a peace treaty. Things seemed to be going well until the Two Tails appeared believed to have broken free of its seal on the Kumo jinchuuriki it was sealed within. I am unsure whether it was an accidental, planned, if someone had broken the seal, the Kumo jinchuuriki lost control, or what truly occurred but all the Kumo shinobi were frantic in trying to subdue the Two Tails and minimize damage and loss of life. Five of my clansmen went to assist in evacuation while one went with myself to search for my wife and son since they had not been with us at the time. Uchiha Saburo was killed after a building collapsed and I received the most prominent injury to my side due to falling debris. It was extremely chaotic so I am not entirely sure where I received a majority of injuries.”

Ibiki asked, “Are you referring to the lightning strike scars running completely across your body that also seem to have affected your chakra system?”

Shikaku peered over at the paperwork Ibiki was holding as Fugaku looked down his shirt at the red-ish somewhat purple lightning like scars peeking out from underneath his bandages. Shikaku asked hesitantly, “What extent of the damage has affected your abilities and usage of chakra.”

Fugaku looked down so not to cause any presumptions he was going to use it on any of them and activated his sharingan. There was a slight sharp pulsing at his temples as the red tint of the sharingan overtook his eyes but it quickly faded and he glanced at Kakashi’s before closing them. He looked back up at the Hokage after his eyes returned to their usual black.

“My sharingan seems to be functioning properly.”

The Hokage’s gaze was sympathetic and if Fugaku was not raised to always meet rules of propriety he would have tried to avert it, “After you have recovered more it would be preferable to see what the extent of your chakra abilities now is due to the damage with a medic on standby. If you would continue.”

Fugaku nodded, “Due to the chaos and time constraints I was unable to bring back Saburo’s body was burned per procedure. I eventually did find Mikoto and Sasuke. Sasuke was not far and although unconscious was mostly uninjured. Mikoto was severely injured but still breathing but died only a few minutes after I got to her.”

None of them pressed him when he went quiet. The reality that his wife was dead was still setting in. They hadn’t been in love. They hadn’t even been friends until they’d been married. They weren’t all that compatible as lovers. Their marriage had been arranged by the clan since Mikoto had been a very powerful kunoichi, an ANBU captain, before going off active duty once Itachi was born and later Sasuke. They thought her exceptional abilities as a shinobi would balance out his perceived ineptitude as a heir to the clan.

Even their children were planned with Itachi being the product of absolutely needing a heir for the Uchiha clan almost immediately after they were married. He sometimes liked to think Sasuke had been due to the happiness to the war ending, but in reality they had discussed the need for a spare. In such as the clan elder’s eyes, in the event Itachi proved unsuitable such as what would have happened to Fugaku had his mother been able to have more children.

In Fugaku’s eyes, a spare would help cement his position as clan head and his bloodline as the successors to it. In Mikoto’s eyes, she deemed Itachi would be Fugaku’s perfect clan heir, but Sasuke would be for her; a son for her to raise as a son while the other was his soldier and he was the commander. She never did approve his attempts at making Itachi mature faster, working his genius son, pushing him to be better even though he was already great. Even if she knew he didn’t want Itachi to be like him and wanted his son to be a good clan head and shinobi. They’d still had an amiable marriage, both loved their children, wanted the best for the clan. She’d been a confidant for him, a steadiness and constant calm, so much stronger with her fiery rage and easy dignity. She’d hold his head in her lap when his anxiety was bad. She’d put on an elegant smile fitting of the clan matriarch when lying her way through distracting anyone looking for him when he had a panic attack. She loved their children and showed them she did in a way Fugaku didn’t allow himself to.

And she was gone.

Fugaku cleared his throat and pressed on, “The Two Tails seemed to have been resealed since it disappeared once more. Uchiha Daisuke made it to me and informed me that the others had perished and he had also burned their bodies per procedure. He was severely injured and I was surprised to find him able get up to find me. He eventually succumbed to his injuries and his body was also burned. I was unsure how to proceed and in my panic I quickly attempted to tend to some of my injuries before making the journey back to Konoha. Sasuke remained unconscious throughout and due to my concern I rushed back here without rest and that is a probable cause for my collapse. Itachi had returned from his mission in Frost Country, so I left Sasuke in his care and went to report what had occurred to you, Lord Third.”

The Hokage said, “Little Sasuke awoke not too long after you were admitted to the hospital. He appears in good health although confused and reluctant to let anyone other than his brother near him. Due to your unconsciousness although understandable after running a three day journey as you did, Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui were present when Inoichi spoke to Sasuke about what occurred. He does not know what occurred after being in the market with his mother with the exception of remembering seeing fire. We believe it might be possible Mikoto put Sasuke under a genjutsu in order to protect him and keep him from remembering the ordeal. We did not press further since it seems he has been through enough. I asked Itachi to hold off on bringing Sasuke to visit you until we were sure of your condition. For your losses, Fugaku, you have my deepest sympathies.”

Ibiki added, “We’ll be looking into the incident in Kumo more just incase. The Cloud probably still holds ill will from the war. They’re bound to try to keep any instability with their jinchuuriki under wraps, but it’s worth a try. Thank you for the report, Uchiha.”

Ibiki’s black trenchcoat swished behind him as he left the hospital room. He’d never been once for patience when it came looking into something he was like a dog with a bone.

Fugaku addressed the Hokage, “If it is alright I would just like to go home and see my sons. It would be better to tell them of what happened to their mother myself, although I assume Itachi suspects. There’s also the matter of speaking to the Uchiha Elders and the clan itself concerning the deaths of the others.”

The Hokage looked at the bandages that went up from his neck down to his feet, but nodded anyway, “I will have a nurse notified to get the AMA papers for you. Although, Fugaku, I think you need to be able to walk before you are discharged from the hospital.”

Fugaku slid his legs off the bed, trying not let on how gingerly he was trying to do it. He swayed when he stood accompanied by faint nausea. He bit down the grimace and clenched his fists to hide the twitching of his fingers. He walked a step carefully to keep his footing so he didn’t make a foot of himself, “I’m fine. I can go.”

The Hokage looked unconvinced, “So you say. Try walking the halls first. I’m sure there would be a stir if the Uchiha clan head collapsed in front of the academy or the marketplace. We will get everything settled once you have recovered more and your sons are anxious to see you.”

Fugaku put his hands on his thighs to keep himself steady before he bowed politely, “Thank you, Lord Third.”

Hound and Otter followed the Hokage out. Shikaku lingered at the door his usual bored expression clouded with concern. His usually rough voice was soft when he said, “Fugaku, take it easy. You were out for quite a while.”

Fugaku tried to find the courage he’d managed when keeping things from the Hokage, but could only nod in response to his old friend. Shikaku looked like he wanted to to say more, but didn’t. Instead he lingered for a moment more before he slid the door closed. Fugaku’s legs shook as he eased back down onto the bed and buried his face in his hands. He didn’t let his tears fall. He was clan head. It was unbefitting of a clan head to be caught crying by a nurse even if his wife had passed and he’d have to notify his children. Even if he had no clue what he was doing or was going to do; about his clan, his sons, his village. He’d managed to not lie, but he had left out important information from his Hokage, from the village. Mikoto’s last words rung in his mind.

_“He’s not a weapon. He’s our son, Fugaku. He’s my son. He’s your son.”_


	2. Cry

“Daddy, who’s the kitty lady in our head?”

Sasuke looked up at Fugaku, his dark eyes wide and curious, from his spot seated on his older brother's lap. Fugaku froze with his hand still on the sliding door. Shisui, who was sprawled across the tatami with one hand supporting his head, coughed and sputtered as Sasuke spoke just as Shisui took a bite into a rice cracker.

Shisui shot up and snatched up a cup of tea on the table and gulped it down. He asked, “Could you elaborate a little on that, Sasuke?”

Sasuke tilted his head, “What’s that mean?”

“Tell more about said the kitty lady.”

Fugaku watched his youngest son fiddle with the hem of his shirt. He stared at the floor, tugging on a loose thread. Fugaku couldn’t keep his eyebrows from shooting up when Sasuke met his gaze for permission.

He nodded, “Go ahead, Sasuke, it’s alright.”

He was quiet for a while. Quiet, for so long Fugaku had thought Sasuke had just decided to ignore him and say nothing, but then he laid his head against his older brother’s chest and started to speak.

“She says she gots a name but says it a secret for us. It’s a nice name. She’s gots two tails and she’s blue. She’s gots eight siblings. So with ‘Tachi, that makes lots. ‘Tachi said you were hurt and we couldn’t see you.”

Fugaku moved to sit down in front of his sons. Itachi’s grip on Sasuke tightened, and his eyes didn’t leave Fugaku as he slowly and gingerly sat down.

Shisui jumped up and quickly closed the sliding door. He turned around with a flourish and whispered harshly, “That sounds suspiciously like the Two Tailed Cat and I for one am pretty concerned itty bitty Sasuke knows anything about that, let alone say a kitty lady is in his head.”

Sasuke tugged his shirt up his back to reveal a complex seal was now on his back at the base of his spine. He huffed,“Not itty bitty, Stupid Shisui! We don’t like you. Mama said you gotta be nice and you don’t. Kitty says she gots sealed in me with this, and Yugito died and that’s sad cause they was getting along good and Yugito said cats gots nine lives, but she didn’t. Kitty said someone messed with her back thingy. And now Kitty is Sasuke, and Sasuke is Kitty.”

Shisui nodded, “I see, I see. So, can anyone put that through a Sasuke Speech translation for me cause I’m lost.”  
  

Fugaku ran a finger across the ink on his youngest child’s back before helping Sasuke readjust his shirt. “The former jinchūriki of the two tails had her seal messed with causing the Two Tails to escape and the former Kumo Jinchuuriki, Yugito I presume, died due to the biju being removed from her body. I believe what Sasuke was trying to say is that the Two Tails had a good relationship with her Jinchuuriki, so her death saddened the Two Tails.”

Shisui stood up and paced as he ran his fingers through his hair, “Okay, okay, so our little baby Sasuke is a Jinchuuriki now and the Two Tails is not that bad of a kitty cat. I’ll work on wrapping my head around that, but honestly I’m more concerning about what Kumo is going to do when they realize we ran off with their Biju.”

“They don’t know. It’s still unclear what really happened, but it seemed it was a different faction and things seem to be turbulent in Kumo. There was a lot of chaos. All those involved in the sealing are dead, and Sasuke wasn’t wearing our symbol at the time, so they could not possibly know he was an Uchiha. I don’t have a very concrete answer of why it was sealed into Sasuke. I think they were just scouring for any child with the chakra they thought could handle the sealing. As far as Kumo knows, their biju is gone to the winds.” Shisui flopped back down next to Itachi and Fugaku made sure to meet both of their eyes, “I plan on it staying that way. No one must know. Absolutely no one. Not even the hokage, or the rest of the clan.”

“Father, surely the hokage---”

Shisui protested, “Something like this?”

Fugaku shouted, “ _No one_!”

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed after seeing Sasuke flinch at his raised voice, “I’m sorry. No one can know. I have already spoken to the hokage. I said nothing on the matter. There would be severe consequences should this get out.”

Itachi continued, “But I’m sure the hokage would---”

“Uchiha Saburo, Daisuke, Inabi, Koji, Akari, and Chiharu are all dead. Mikoto is dead.” Fugaku’s voice wavered, “Your mother is dead. ‘ _He’s not a weapon. He’s our son. He’s my son. He’s your son. He’s not a weapon. He’s our son.’_ Those were her _last_ words to me. You know how the other Jinchuuriki are treated. Meant to be war deterrents, but that sure as hell isn’t the case. They’re hated for what they are while still needed for what they are at the same time. If it were found out Sasuke would be taken and he’d be nothing more than a weapon to be wielded. That is why no one else can know. I can’t. I just can’t. No one can know.”

It was blunt, but he didn’t know what else to say.

Sasuke cried into Itachi’s shirt. Still not yet old enough to be ashamed of his tears. His sobs seemed to make the scars across Fugaku’s body ache. Just as much as how Itachi’s eyes shined even though he was still trying so hard to keep his face blank.

Shisui’s clenched fists trembled in his lap, “How?”

Fugaku swallowed harshly, “She was only a little too late to stop the sealing, but--- she was surrounded by burnt corpses. She made sure none went unpunished for taking her child, but there were many. She fought hard.”

He hadn’t even really took notice of the stinging in his eyes. He’d written off the tightness in his chest from healing ribs. Hot tears slid down Fugaku’s face and even through them he could see the slight shock on Shisui and Itachi’s faces. An Uchiha holds onto their tears for another time, for private, when the battle is done. An Uchiha stays strong when they must. Soft cries still managed to tumble from his lips. Mikoto was dead. Itachi and Sasuke had lost their mother. Shisui lost his favorite aunt. Mikoto was stronger than him. She would know how to handle the children. She would not cry in front of them. She would have been strong; if he had been in her place. He’d always tried so hard to be strong in front of them, and in turn she’d loved them.

He cried, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Mikoto’s gone. I was too late to get to her. I left her and Sasuke alone. _I’m sorry_.”

Fugaku clasped his hand over his mouth and bowed his head. Sasuke wiggled out of Itachi’s grip still crying right along with his father. Shisui put his hand on Itachi’s shoulder when he went to pull his little brother back. Sasuke crawled into his father’s lap and wiped Fugaku’s tears from his cheeks with the sleeve of his shirt before he buried his face into his father’s chest. Sasuke mumbled through sniffles, “I miss Mama. I want Mama.”

Fugaku kissed the top of Sasuke’s hair, “I know. I know. I’ll miss her too.”

The four sat in relative silence as Sasuke’s cries reduced to sniffles and whimpers until he went quiet. Fugaku moved his little boy’s hair and tilted up his chin to see if he had calmed down, but he had just fallen asleep. Sasuke’s tear streaked snot covered face nearly sticking to Fugaku’s shirt, and his thumb partially in his mouth. Fugaku moved his thumb out and brushed aside the hair sticking to his forehead, “He fell asleep.”

Itachi was running his fingers through his ponytail, head tilted down to avoid his father’s eyes, “He wore himself out crying and he really wanted to see you so he didn’t have a nap today, and he hasn’t been sleeping all that well.”

Fugaku clenched his teeth and hoped Itachi and Shisui didn’t notice how his legs trembled as he stood up with Sasuke in his arms. Of course, believed to the the brightest of their generation, they did notice. Itachi’s head immediately shot up with that sharp assessing gaze of his to replace what had been the grieving sheen. Shisui’s concerned doe eyes with a hint of a pinched frown reminded him too much of Mikoto.

“Uncle Fugaku, I know it’s sort of a given considering you’re covered in bandages from the neck down and I heard you fainted in the Hokage tower, but should you really be out of the hospital?”

“Filled out AMA papers so probably not.” Fugaku replied, “I have quite a few injuries, some are looking to be a bit permanent. I still need to see of to what extent, but that can wait.”

Shisui looked from Fugaku, the arm Sasuke was cradled against twitching more than the other, and Itachi who was trying so hard to maintain a blank expressionless face that would have convinced anyone else but him. He said, “Here, I can put Sasuke to bed. Little guy’s so tuckered out he probably won’t even wake up and see it’s me carrying him and freak out, and make a cute valiant attempt on my life. It’s fine, really.”

Fugaku chuckled and tried not to jostle Sasuke too much as he passed him to Shisui. The boy had the wild curls of his grandfather, but he certainly lacked the subtle cunning of Kagami’s line. Shisui only made a small grimace at the feel of the sweaty toddler against him. As soon as Shisui was gone, Itachi only seemed to grow more uncomfortable with barely contained fidgets and a clenched jaw in order to maintain his calm facade. Fugaku wiped at his reddened eyes harshly with his thumbs. His own facade was long gone. It wasn’t hard to see Itachi was hurting, but he still tried to hide it. Keeping his eyes low, but not totally bowing his head. Almost like some who feared the Uchiha did, in order to not met their Sharingan eyes.

Fugaku kneeled in front of his firstborn son and put his hands onto his shoulders, “Itachi, your mother loved you dearly. I know I may not have always shown it, but I hope you have never doubted that I love you just as much. Mikoto told me with her dying breath that Sasuke was not to be a weapon, but my son, that is exactly what I have done with you. So young; already a genin. They call you a genius and I know I only added to that weight onto you. Your mother never did approve.”

Itachi’s fingers tugged quicker through his low ponytail and his lip trembled. Fugaku attempted to tuck Itachi’s bangs behind his ear to Itachi to look up, but he just looked away.

“ _Although our face may be ice, a burning blaze runs beneath our skin._ My mother used repeat that often. Right alongside _United Front,_ in phrases an Uchiha must live by, it was the one she said most often.” Fugaku continued, “ Uchihas, we feel far too much. Our sadness is sorrow, our anger is rage. We love fiercely and deeply. With these eyes of ours, we must keep a composure and distance. People always remember arrogance, fury, pride when it comes to the Uchiha but always forget our passion that is the driving force behind it all.”

Fugaku smiled when he saw he’d finally gotten Itachi to look at him.

“Forgive me. I had kept up that distance and attempts at composure even with you. Those phrases weren’t meant to be applied against the family. I pushed you and Sasuke and even Mikoto away. I let Mikoto show you her love while I wouldn’t allow myself to. You know, I never had actually been very good at following my mother’s words when I was younger. I was actually a bit of a crybaby. If my mother could have had other children she could have replaced me as heir as soon as possible, and my father although amused by me on occasion always thought I was a bit too weak to lead. I didn’t want you to be like me. You proved yourself to be so smart, so strong, and yet---”

Fugaku took Itachi’s face into his hands. His cheeks still plush with baby fat, Itachi’s face seemed so small, it seemed like only one of Fugaku’s hands could engulf most of his son’s face. He said, “As skilled as you are, I know you don’t care much for violence or bloodshed. You saw too much during the war, younger than you are now. I should have been able to keep you from it. My kind boy. It’s only more apparent when you’re with your little brother, and he needs you now more than ever. Your mother is gone and I don’t really know what I’m going to do, but I do know I can’t continue as I have been. Your brother will not be a weapon, and it would be hypocritical of me to do the same for you. You’re a gentle child”

“Father, my own needs are second to the greater good and---”

Fugaku cut him off with a single desperate question as he released his face with one last stroke of his cheek.

He asked, “Do you truly want to be a shinobi?”

That single question opened the floodgates. As soon as the first tear left Itachi’s eye, they streamed down his face. He cried silently, like most children from the war did, and slowly shook his head. His shoulders, small and thin, shook with contained cries. Fugaku scolded himself for as much as he was called a prodigy Itachi was still so young, and he too often forgot that. His little hands already have taken lives with activated Sharingan eyes; the eyes of their ancestors achieved through pain, suffering, and trauma.  Taking Itachi into his arms, Fugaku held his eldest son as he cried. He struggled to remember the last time he held Itachi even though he was _still_ small enough to be carried on his hip.

Fugaku rubbed Itachi’s back as he finally started to relax in his embrace and spoke softly against his son’s hair, “You will still be my heir. Even should you retire from active duty, you are my strong and brilliant son. Being clan head really is more politics, paperwork, and posturing anyway. Some think being clan head means being the strongest, but your mother would say the head of any clan must be the leader that clan needs at that moment in time. I know you could be a good leader. You do not need to continue to fight and kill. Train if you wish, but you take good care of your brother. Either way, I’ll love you still and your mother would do the same.”

Itachi sniffled, “Thank you, Father.”

Fugaku gently pushed him away so he could wipe his cheeks, “I still need to go speak to the clan elders.  I also still need to meet with the immedient families of those lost in Kumo. There’s quite a lot to do.”

“I’ll watch Sasuke. I don’t mind, and he should at least stay asleep for a while.”

Fugaku pressed a kiss against Itachi’s forehead as he went to stand. The look of surprise on Itachi’s face was very evident if Shisui chuckling from the doorway was any indication.

Shisui said, “If you don’t mind I’d like to walk with you, Uncle.”

Fugaku nodded and with one last pat on Itachi’s head he followed Shisui to the entryway. His bones aches from kneeling and he was starting to feel a bit shaky, but he needed to do what needed to be done. Before his courage left him, or he fell into a heap into the dirt whichever came first. Shisui raised a brow at Fugaku’s struggles, but didn’t comment. He had never been all that close to Shisui. He was Mikoto’s nephew, son of her eldest brother Naozumi. Naozumi lost his leg in the war, and spent more time in the hospital than out of it due to his health, and with with his wife lost during the war his son was left to bounce from relative to relative. Eleven years old and already a jonin, he had seen death, but he had adored his aunt Mikoto.

Fugaku reached out and patted his curls.

Shisui looked up at Fugaku with a smirk, “Is this your way of trying to bond with me? Form connection in time of grief? Because I’ll be real with you, Uncle, you could have started out better than just a pat on the head. I’m not a puppy.”

Shisui was also a mouthy brat--- Jonin or not.

Shisui’s smirk fell and he sighed, his face turning serious, “I asked to walk with you because I needed to speak to you about some things. I understand Itachi. He’s my best friend and I know he doesn’t like being a shinobi, but things are really turbulent right now, and I don’t know if now would be the time for him to retire.”

“I’m well aware of how _turbulent_ things are.” Fugaku replied, “Things are started looking up working with Minato, but after the Kyuubi Incident things have only started to steadily go downhill.  With the skepticism against us, rumors, and whispers; there’s discontent within the clan. Shisui, I am the clan head. I will not be pushed around, not even by our own clansmen. I’ve let these things go unchecked for too long. I will speak to them of Itachi’s retirement, Mikoto’s death, and the direction we will take our clan. I want what is best for us; for all of us. It won’t be easy, but I know it’s the better path to take.”

Fugaku tilted his head at Shisui’s expression. It was no longer serious, but odd. He looked at him differently. The same slight curve of the mouth and shine in his eyes. Mikoto would give Fugaku nearly the same look whenever he did something she approved of.

“Uncle Fugaku, I always kind of thought you were a stuck up, overbearing, stick in the mud. You’re making me rethink that judgement.”

There was no mistaking the hint of pride hidden in the rude words.

Fugaku just ruffled his hair.

His whole body was sore with an ache that dug into his bones, but Fugaku stood just a little bit taller with his back straight. 


End file.
